Downtown Disc

Downtown Disc in Juneau is shaped by Alaska in a way few record stores are: the city’s isolation, its physical-media history, local collectors, cruise traffic, freight costs, and the fact that people arrive by plane, ferry, or ship. Keith describes a used-heavy store where jazz became a strength through major collections, but where classic rock and affordable records keep the business moving.

Interview with Downtown Disc

Keith, running a record store in Juneau — reachable mainly by boat or plane — must be its own thing. How does Alaska shape Downtown Disc?

Juneau definitely shapes the store. We're isolated — you can't just hop in a car and drive to the next city — so Downtown Disc has become a little bit of a destination.

But Juneau also has a long history of listening to physical media. Before cable TV and all the entertainment options people have today, radio and music were a big part of life here. There are a lot of longtime collectors in Juneau with some really substantial record collections.

So there's already a strong appreciation for physical music in the community. We're serving those serious local collectors, people who are rediscovering vinyl, and visitors arriving by plane, ferry, and cruise ship. I think that combination of Juneau's history, its isolation, and its strong community of music collectors gives the store a character you probably wouldn't find in a record store somewhere else.

You'll open outside regular hours for someone visiting — is that Juneau hospitality, or a necessity given the tourist and cruise traffic?

Honestly, a little of both. Juneau is a very welcoming place, and if somebody has traveled all the way here and wants to see the store, I'm happy to accommodate them. But the cruise schedule definitely plays into it. People might only have a few hours in town, so if we can make it work, we will open the door.

You carry a lot of jazz in a used-heavy shop — how did jazz become a strength this far north?

Jazz has really become one of the strengths of Downtown Disc, partly because of two substantial jazz collections we were fortunate enough to acquire. One was a smaller collection that belonged to a guy who used to do the jazz radio show here in Juneau. The other was a massive collection that leaned very heavily toward jazz.

Those collections didn't just shape the inventory of the store — they also gave us the opportunity to listen to and learn a tremendous amount about jazz ourselves. You start with records you know, then somebody brings in something you've never heard of, you put it on, and suddenly you're discovering an incredible artist or album completely by chance.

There's not a lot that's more amazing than putting on a record you know absolutely nothing about and discovering something great purely by accident. That's one of the things I love most about having a record store.

What's the most valuable or surprising record that's made it all the way to your bins in Juneau?

We've had some pretty surprising things come through the door. Early Blue Note pressings and Mobile Fidelity (MoFi) pressings were some of the records that really opened our eyes to just how exceptional — and sometimes rare — certain records could be. Finding those kinds of records also helped us get through some of the slower winters.

That's one of the fun parts of buying used records: you never really know what's going to show up. Sometimes something that looks completely ordinary turns out to be a rare pressing, an unusual label, or something collectors have been searching for. Those discoveries are a big part of what makes the business exciting.

Who comes through — locals, cruise passengers, collectors who make the trip?

It's a real mixture. We have longtime Juneau residents, serious collectors, people who are just getting back into vinyl, and cruise passengers who wander in because they see a record store downtown. I've also had people make a point of coming to the store specifically because they're visiting Juneau.

Getting records in and out of Juneau isn't simple — does shipping and isolation change how you buy collections?

Absolutely. Shipping records to and from Juneau isn't cheap or particularly simple, so you have to think differently about collections. In a larger city, you can pick up a collection locally or drive somewhere to look at it. Here, transportation and freight can become a significant part of the economics. I have to consider not just what the records are worth, but what it's going to cost and how difficult it will be to get them here.

Roughly what does a common record fetch versus something you're glad to see, given your market?

There's a huge range. A common used LP might only bring in a few dollars, while a desirable pressing in excellent condition can be worth considerably more.

But classic rock and records that price out in the $20 range really drive the business. Those are the records that consistently move and keep the store going. You need the rare and expensive records, but you also need a steady stream of records that people can afford and want to take home.

And I have to give a shout-out to Taylor Swift — her popularity actually paid our rent for a long while. Her records moved incredibly well for us and were a great example of how you sometimes find an unexpected artist or category that becomes a major part of keeping the business healthy.

Do you buy 45s and 78s, or is it mostly LPs?

We typically don't buy too many 78s. We always have a pretty big stock of 45s, but neither 45s nor 78s are really a priority for us. LPs are the core of the business, and that's where most of our buying focus goes.

Should sellers clean records first, and what condition issues matter most to you?

We definitely appreciate records being cleaned, but we also understand that when it's time for someone to sell a collection, they usually don't want to spend the time cleaning hundreds of records first. That's part of the process for us.

We generally clean records as we're grading them, and if we come across a particularly rare or valuable record, we'll give it a much more thorough cleaning. The biggest things we look for are scratches, groove wear, warping, water damage, mold, and the condition of the jacket and sleeves.

What do people most often get wrong about what their old records are worth?

Probably the biggest misconception is that old automatically means valuable. It doesn't. There are millions of copies of some records, and being 50 or 60 years old doesn't make one rare.

What matters is the particular pressing, condition, scarcity, demand, and sometimes even the label or catalog number. People also often look at an asking price online and assume that's what a record is worth. What somebody wants for a record and what somebody is actually willing to pay can be two very different things.

FAQ

Does Downtown Disc buy mostly LPs?

Yes. LPs are the core of the business and the main buying focus.

Does Juneau’s location affect buying collections?

Yes. Shipping and freight costs matter, so collection value has to be considered alongside the cost and difficulty of getting records to Juneau.

What condition issues matter most?

Scratches, groove wear, warping, water damage, mold, and jacket or sleeve condition are all important.

Last updated: 2026-08-20

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